Hitman: Agent 47Review

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By Josh Lasser

Movies based on video games don't exactly have a great track record. In fact, a poorly received adaptation of the Hitman game franchise already arrived on the big screen in 2007. Knowing these facts could easily cause one to think twice before going to see the new Hitman: Agent 47 on the big screen. Those who do go, however, may be pleased with their decision.

Rupert Friend makes a surprisingly good 47 here in the new movie, somehow getting the perfect tone for a character who kills without mercy but still has a few soft spots. Friend doesn't just look the part, he brings it to life. No, not as the exact embodiment of the video game character—this isn't a literal translation—but as someone who is almost believable as a real world analog of that character ("almost" because nothing in the film is quite believable).

As presented here, 47 is a man with several genetic enhancements that make him smarter, faster, and generally more lethal than the average person, with 47 noting what iteration of the Agent program that created him he represents. His job, as the name of the movie states, is that of a hitman – 47 goes around taking contracts to kill people so that the goals of others can be realized.

Our anti-hero's mission this time out is to stop an evil organization run by a man named Le Clerq (Thomas Kretschmann) from starting up a new and improved Agent program. For this, they require the person responsible for the original program, Dr. Litvenko (Ciaran Hinds), but as he's off the grid, they are willing to settle for Litvenko's daughter, Katia van Dees (Hannah Ware), hoping she can lead them to her father.

The less time one spends worrying about the plot, the more enjoyment can be garnered from this new Hitman. Spending more than a few moments contemplating all the whys and wherefores will do nothing but lead to a headache. There are too many things which make little to no sense, too many questions that go unanswered, and a few too many moments that come off as simply there to seem cool.

Cool, though, is a pretty apt way to describe a number of the action sequences. They don't reach some of the lofty heights we have already seen this summer, but they are done with a style and flair that makes them enjoyable. 47 could certainly use a bit more stealth than he exhibits in the movie, but Friend's fisticuffs skills are evident. Some of the CGI, too, is rather disappointing, but director Aleksander Bach always quickly moves away from any of those moments and on to something else before one can ponder them too greatly.

Exit Theatre Mode

As a hitman, 47 ought to employ stealth in his operations, but that is not quite the case here. Stealth plays a big part in the game franchise and while not entirely gone from the film, it is just not as present as would make sense for someone working in this capacity.

Stealth does come into play with how 47 helps keep Katia alive, as he teaches her some of his techniques. He also teaches her some of his more overtly brutal moves. Both aspects of the training play out almost like a video game tutorial, with 47 explaining to her the goals and offering a bit of an overview about how she might accomplish them. Ware is great in these moments as she comes to realize what she can do with a little bit of practice.

Exit Theatre Mode

The biggest disappointment in the film—unless one is looking for a perfect translation of the game—is Zachary Quinto's John Smith. A man with a secret, John Smith works for Le Clerq, leading the charge against 47. Hitman never gives Quinto enough to do in this role to elevate him above traditional henchman status. However, Le Clerq is barely in the film and so Smith regularly represents the bad guys to the audience, but the curtain is never pulled far enough back on the character to show us what makes him tick. Quinto does what he can, but Smith isn't as fully-realized as he ought to be as 47's main adversary.

The Verdict

Hitman: Agent 47 is almost certainly going to be too much of a generic action film for those heavily invested in the game franchise, and too video game-like for those who aren't. For a group somewhere in the middle, however, those who just want to see some fun stunts and a bunch of fairly good action sequences strung together with more than a little flair, the movie provides enough to sustain its brief runtime. That is, provided one doesn't think too much about why any of the action takes place.